50 years ago, at the height of the Cuban Missile Crisis,
second-in-command Vasilli Arkhipov of the Soviet submarine B-59 refused to
agree with his Captain's order to launch nuclear torpedos against US warships
and setting off what might well have been a terminal superpower nuclear war.
The US had been dropping depth charges near the submarine in
an attempt to force it to surface, unaware it was carrying nuclear arms. The
Soviet officers, who had lost radio contact with Moscow, concluded that World
War 3 had begun, and 2 of the officers agreed to 'blast the warships out of the
water'. Arkhipov refused to agree - unanimous consent of 3 officers was
required
His story is finally being told - the BBC is airing a
documentary on it.
Raise a glass to Vasilli Arkhipov - the Man Who Saved the
World.
Source: The Idealist
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